Will Smith Breaks Silence After Jada Pinkett Smith Separation Confusion

Will Smith is set to reprise his I Am Legend role for a sequel that is in development, despite his character being killed off in the 2007 film.

Smith played army virologist Robert Neville in the dystopian sci-fi movie. He was one of just a few survivors left on the planet after a plague transformed Earth's inhabitants into monsters. Seemingly the only survivor in New York, Smith's character eventually meets a mother-and-son duo traveling to a supposedly safe area in Vermont.

While creating a cure to reverse the plague, the mutated inhabitants of the city discover where Neville resides, and just as he reaches the final steps for the cure, they crash into his home. To save the mother and son and give them a chance to escape New York and make it to the refuge, he had to sacrifice himself and blow up his laboratory; luckily, the mother and son reached the sanctuary by the end of the movie.

Now, the star wants to rewrite the past ending to give his character a new life, with him appearing alongside an already teased Michael B. Jordan.

Earlier this year, Newsweek revealed that the writer of the first movie, Akiva Goldsman, would partner with Warner Bros to create the sequel. Newsweek has contacted Will Smith's publicist for comment via email on Monday.

The latest development came when Smith spoke about his involvement at the 2023 Red Sea Film Festival on December 2. As reported by Deadline, at the event, Smith said: "I have a call with Michael B. Jordan tomorrow. We're really close. I am probably giving up too much information; the script just came in."

Smith added how, on the DVD version of the film, there was an alternative ending, different from the theatrical release, where Smith's character lived.

Smith said: "We're going with the mythology of the DVD version where my character lives, and I can't tell you anymore."

On the social-media platform X, formerly Twitter, fans of the 2007 hit seemed excited, with one commenting: "Looking forward to seeing where they go with this."

A second wrote, "Excited and can't wait!!" with another adding: "I AM LEGEND is certainly up there as one of his best performances in a movie. A part 2 would be epic, though."

However, one fan posted, "Eh.. the original ending is better. It's what makes him a legend," with another wrote: "Really enjoyed the original, but this is Messy..."

Speaking about another monster while at the event, Smith said: "Fame is a unique monster, and I've had to be really careful. You can't get excited when everybody is saying good things about you. The more you take when people are saying good things about you, the more hurt you're going to be when people are saying bad things about you."

The star has been a point of conversation and ridicule since his 2022 Oscar slap of Chris Rock where the comedian said something about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, that he did not like.

Along with the fallout from that slap, Pinkett Smith's memoir Worthy, landed in October, and, partnered with press interviews, the pair's relationship has been heavily questioned after it was revealed they had 'separated' several years ago.

Smith said: "The more you take when people are saying good things about you, the more hurt you're going to be when people are saying bad things about you.

"What I've experienced in my adversities of the last couple of years is that I have to be clear about who I am and what I am attempting to do in the world, and I can't need others to applaud for me to stay focused on my mission," the actor added.